The Bet: Part I
by ShatteredBlaze
Summary: Rosaline Hawke has been spending months living away from home, squandering in a depression caused by her mother kicking her out after sending Bethany to the Wardens. After a night of drinking with Varric the conversation turns bawdy and Hawke agrees to a wager that she immediately regrets the morning after. (Rating to change over time)


_First let me say that I do not in any way, shape or form claim to own anything from the Dragon Age franchise aside from my own personal copy of Origins and II, all rights go to Bioware who have created so many wonderful characters for me to play with! _

_The Bet is a multi-part story (no exact number yet) during and before Act II, and it will consists mostly with Rosaline Hawke and her completely awkward attempts at seducing her party members. A warning that this is my first fanfiction, and it might be a complete bust but I intend to try my hand at it. That being said I appreciate criticism when it's polite, and I hope I can write something worth reading!_

The Bet

Chapter 1: A Rough Beginning

If there was anything to be learned of this madness it was that Rosaline Hawke should never drink again, or rather never be drunk in front of the merchant prince; Varric Tethras again.

There were so many things the rogue wished she could change; not saving Carver from the ruthless arms of darkspawn, for joining that brutish thug Meeran and being privy to some of the most brutal killings she had ever witnessed, and the latest bringing poor Bethany to the Roads. It was days like these that the red haired rogue missed the idle life of Lothering, of the open fields and small tavern. But all these thoughts slowly drifted away as she laid her head back down on the low table of Varric's room, and slowly went through the fragments of her drink addled mind to figure out where this had all gone horribly wrong.

They had all spent weeks in the deep, Hawke, Bethany, Varric and Anders. They had fallen victim to betrayal and greed, which seemed to be a trending occurrence what with Ostagar, so they trudged through the tunnels for what seemed like months. It should have occurred sooner to Rosaline the true danger was not the darkspawn themselves but the festering taint that followed. Sure Anders had found a Warden entourage in time to save Bethany from an imminent death, but nothing could convince her grieving mother that she had not failed her family yet again as she was turned away at the door.

So for nearly a year Hawke had been near untraceable and for the last few weeks was living on the street, and much to the surprise and discomfort of her companions was still nowhere to be found until, for one of the very few times in his life, Varric was caught off guard. As he was leaving the tavern a very drunk Hawke was singing exceptionally loudly in an alleyway just outside. So he did what any other good friend would have; he got Isabela and they picked her up to throw her in his palatial suite for one last night of drinks before he would notify everyone else where she was, and then maybe they could all get back to stirring up trouble.

~V~

Hawke for the very first in a long time was having some legitimate fun, Varric kept telling his ridiculous stories and Isabela kept the ale flowing with some help from Norah, and it nearly made her forget what was left for her when this was all over. After about an hour Isabela left for some "urgent business" at the Rose, and she left Hawke and Varric to their drinking.

"So Hawke, you have enough money to buy this tavern, and probably every house on the block, why were you out on the street?" Varric questioned the red head; now suckling on a new tankard of ale.

"Mom kicked me out," she hiccupped "Said dad would be disappointed, and shut the door,"

The dwarf paused, "You know if you ever need a place to stay, my door is always open, and if it wasn't I imagine you'd be able to pick the lock anyways."

"Well I was thinking about it last Tuesday when the wind picked up, but last time I slept over you complained that I was letting in a draft." Rosaline let out a small smile.

"It's not my fault that you're too tall for my sheets, but speaking of sleeping over, I've been dying to ask; you and Blondie?" he asked as he waggled his eyebrows questionably.

"What about him?" she questioned, her eyebrow quirking up slightly.

"You and him on watch, all alone, on those darkspawn filled nights? Didn't you share a bedroll with him for the last few weeks of the trip?" Varric smirked.

"Damn it," she muttered; he really did notice everything. "Ok I'll have it be said that I dropped mine on the ground and it was covered in darkspawn muck, so he offered to share his with me, it wasn't a big deal."

"You are a cruel, cruel woman Hawke,"

"There wasn't a lot of room, and it was pretty warm but I'm sure a former Grey Warden would rather I didn't die of blight, does that make me cruel?" she questioned.

"No, but what does is poor Anders follows you around like a love-sick puppy dog, and you lay next to him in close quarters for weeks, he is only a man you know!"

"What are you talking about Varric, Anders is only a friend, sure we flirt back and forth a bit but he's always so grumpy about it, and so what? I am only a woman."

"See Hawke, this is why I can write about you; you are a maniac with those daggers of yours but when it comes to everything else you're a bit… oblivious, next you're going to tell me that you don't notice Broody's advances."

"You mean Fenris right? What are you even talking about?"

"You mean you've never caught him staring at you? You could practically cut that tension with a knife. Not to mention the looks that he gives Blondie have gotten pretty ferocious even for those two, since we got back."

"Are you sure they just weren't talking about mages again? That seems to get them worked up."

"Hawke, I had everyone over for drinks last week to catch up since you've been missing, and Blondie was saying that he was worried about where you were, and Fenris smirked and said "Probably hiding from you, abomination," and Anders says with the smuggest look on his face "Well we did sleep together for a few weeks, I'd be a little sick of me too" and then Fenris started glowing. Aveline and Rivaini had to forcibly hold the blue pals back, or else someone's heart probably would have been on the floor."

"Oh." She paused, instantly sobered, sure both of them were exceptional eye candy, Anders with his golden hair, chocolate eyes, and those healing hands of his, and Fenris with his snow white hair and mossy green eyes with that low brassy voice that practically made her melt every time he spoke, but she hadn't ever really thought about having... relations with either of them, not that she'd ever readily admit it of course on the off chance that she had! Shaking her head, she laughed nervously, "You must be joking Varric, that's silly, we're just friends, and they're about as likely to like me in... that way as Bela and Merrill!"

"Well I'm not sure about Daisy, she tends to be as oblivious as you when it comes to the more adult topics, but you've saved Rivaini's ass on many an occasion; and with how much she stares at yours, frankly I'm surprised she hasn't propositioned you already."

"Well I guess she has, but I thought she was joking!"

"When it comes to sex I don't think she's the joking type."

"So what you're saying is that they're all waiting for what? An opportune moment to jump me in the alleyway?"

"Well I think Anders is more likely to spring for at least a half nice room at the Rose, and the way you had been living for the last while I think that ship has already sailed... But essentially yes, that's the idea."

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for this conversation," she huffed and throwing back another mug of foul tasting ale.

She knew what this was like, and how it would end already. She had seen it in Lothering; it hadn't happened to her with the untameable curly red hair and slightly more petite frame. No, it had been Bethany who was the object of many a man's affections in their mid-Fereldan farming hamlet. Hawke had been content to simply watch as the poor men fell over each other for a look at her sister's water-like black hair, caramel eyes and Maker given curves. Granted Rosaline had, for a time, been a little jealous, but after reading some of the many letters shoved under their door she had been content to join Carver in his self-appointed job to protect their sister's innocence. A job she had inadvertently botched by deciding to bring her sister to the blighted deep roads.

"So what am I to do Varric? Kindly tell them all that while their attentions are appreciated that I have no intention of bedding them anytime soon in the foreseeable future because I have no idea what that's even like?" Hawke clamped a hand over her mouth lest her words continue to slip through her fingers like water.

"Wait... Hawke you're not..?" The dwarf's eyes visibly widened, a laugh forming on his lips.

"Leave it alone Varric," the rogue warned her cheeks quickly turning scarlet.

"So… our fearless leader; slayer of darkspawn, demons and qunari-"

"Tal-Vashoth."

"Whatever, slayer of darkspawn, demons and Tal-Vashoth, has never known the touch of a man?"

"Or woman," Hawke hiccupped, her next drink not coming nearly quick enough.

"Maker's breath Hawke, do you lack the equipment? Did you plan on joining the chantry? Or have we finally found our red headed rogue's one true weakness?"

"Of course I have the equipment!" Rosaline sputtered, "Not even going to talk about that and it's not a weakness either, I could, just never saw a reason to well... You know. Not to mention that I'm not exactly a paragon of beauty." She muttered, tipping a glass upside down to find it disappointedly empty.

"Blasphemy Hawke, it's a wonder every man in Kirkwall hasn't asked for your hand in marriage yet, and that word hasn't spread to the rest of Thedas so that men would travel from their estates and palaces for a look at you!" The dwarf smiled earnestly at the pouting red head, before pouring her another glass and passing it to her.

"You flatter me Varric, but if anyone should travel across Thedas it's because you've overly exaggerated me again, and they've most likely turned around already disappointed that no such 'Warrior Goddess of Kirkwall' actually exists."

"Sure she does, and she's sitting right in front of me. Unless you're saying Blondie, Broody and Bela have bad taste?"

"Of course not, it's just.."

"Or are you just afraid of not being able to live up to the mere idea of you?"

"Of course not!"

"Do you not think you could seduce them?"

"Of course I could!"

"Well then how about we have a little wager?" He smiled impishly

"I don't like the look you're giving me, but ok, I'll bite."

"If you can manage to bring our merry band of misfits to your bed, one by one or in twos or three's; whatever you're into, I call you 'the Rose', set up a faster correspondence between you and your Warden sister and I; on my honour, never speak of this to anyone, not even publish it with a fake name. If you can't, you have to join the sister's at the chantry and buy me the Hanged Man with the money you have to give up for your vows."

"I don't know about this Varric, it seems all too easy for you to simply pop in unannounced, or talk about it before I'm finished."

"Fine, I'm not allowed to intervene, we're both not allowed to speak of this to anyone until it results either way. For a time limit, let's say two years. That is unless you were too scared of course."

Hawke had always been easily baited. Not that she was ever excessively violent, but her father and brother had to save her from countless foolish brawls with local boys, and her mother was constantly talking her out of some fool plan to best another child who had teased her that very day. Some things appeared to have stayed the same over the years, and with her father and brother gone and her mother refusing to see her no one could talk the girl out of the foolish idea in time to save her from the inevitable heartbreak and sorrow that would follow. With three little words, a gulp of ale and a swish of her quill across a blighted parchment her fate was sealed. A fate she would already regret by morning.

"You're on dwarf!"


End file.
